Grain cleaning device



March 19, 1935.

FIG. 1

Full: V

Filed Dec. 26, 1930 M. DAVIS' GRAIN CLEANING DEVICE INVENTOR.

\ Munroe Davis ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES a ra GRAIN CLEANING DEVICE Monroe Davis, Blackwell, Okla. Application December 26, 1330, Serial No. 504,803 4 Claims. (01. 209-133) 'This invention relates to grain cleaners.

The object of the invention is to provide a cleaner in which the grain is cleaned by falling and striking obstructions and coming in contact p with a draft of air traveling inthe opposite direction from the falling grain.

Another object is to provide a grain cleaner as above described and having a means of adjusting the size of the stream of grain flowing through the cleaner. 4

Another object is to provide a cleaner of the kind described having a plurality of obstructions positioned in the line of travel of the flowing grain.

These and other objects will be more fully explained as this description progresses.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of the device. Fig; 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the working parts of the device. Fig. 3 is a plan View of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view, taken on the line IVIV in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional View taken along the line VIVI in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a rear View of the dirt trap.

In the drawing is shown a funnel shaped hopper element 10 having a dependi ng tube 11, said tube 11 having an enlarged portion 12, from which is a smaller depending tube 13. Around the tube 11-is a larger tube 14 having an air tight connection with the funnel portion of the hopper 10. Just below the element 12 the tube decreases in diameter as shown at Hand joins with an air tight joint to a smaller perpendicular tube 16 which incloses the perpendicular tube 13, leaving an air space between thetubes 13 and 16. At 17 is a rod positioned on the center axis of the elements previously described and slidably held in guides 18 and 19 which are supported by spider arms 20 and 21 attached to the sidewalls of the tube 11 and the hopper 10 as shown. At 22 are shown spacing elements between the walls of the tubes 11 and 14 as a means of retaining the tubes 11, 13, and 14 and the rods 17, all on the same center-axis." At 23 is a rocker arm pivotally mounted at 24 on a'supporting element 25, the inner end of said arm 23 being bifurcated and the bifurcated portions being provided with a slot 26 in which is retamed a pin 27 which is rigid with the upper end of the rod 17. At 28 is a support bracket, supporting a spring 29 and functions to raise the outer end of the lever 23 and drop the inner end of said lever, thereby causing the rod 1'7 to be actuated up .or down as the case may be,

On the outer end of the lever 23 is attached- ATENT OFFICE a wire or cable 30 which hangs therefrom, the a lower end of said cable 30 is attached to alever, arm 31, which is pivotally mounted at 32 to any; suitable element- 33. The outer end of the arm- 31 is provided with a worm gear segment 34; which is in engagement with a worm 35 held in bearings 36 and 37 mounted on the element 33. Integral with the worm 35 isa depending shaft 3'7 which is provided withv a crank, 38 having a handle 39 with which to turn the crank; On the lower end of the rod 17 is a cone shaped element rigidly mounted on the shaft 17 and being slightly larger in diameter than the tube j 13, so that when the element 40 is moved down ward toward the upper end of the tube 13, it will functionas a valve to open or close the tube 13 to admit or deny the passage of any material which maybe in the tube 11. This valve may also be adjusted to admit the passage of any desired amount of material in the tube 11 to the tube 13; v I

At 41 is anenlarged tubular element havingan air tight connection 42 with the tube 16; the lower end" of the tube 41 also having an air tight connection 43 with the perpendicular tube 44 which is smaller in diameter than the tube 41. Housed within the tube 41 is a tubular element 45, said tubular element 45 being smaller in diameter than the tube 41 and being provided with a funnel shaped portion 46 on the upper end thereof; the lower end of the tube 45 being decreased in diameter'and terminating with a short pipe 47. Within the pipe 451$ accup element 48 which issupported by supporting arms 49, spanning the space between the walls of the tube 45 and the cup 48. The tube 45 is rigidly held in axial alignment with the tube 41 by supporting arms 50 and 51 spanning between the walls of the tubes 45 and 41.

At 51 is a tubular element larger in diameter than the pipe 44, and having an air tight connection with the tube 44 by means of the cone shaped elem'ent"52; the lower end of the ele-' ment 51 being decreased in diameter as shown at 53. andhaving an air tight connection to the tubular element 54; axially positioned within the tubular element 55 which is smaller in di ameter than the element 51 and being supported in said element 51 by support arms 56 and 57, which span between the side walls of the tubular elements 51 and 55; the upper end of the element 55 being provided with a funnel shaped portion 58. The lower end of'the tube 55 being decreased in diameter and terminating with a short tubular element 59, centrally positioned within the tube 54. Axially positioned within the tubular element 55 is a double cone shaped element 77, supported within the tube 55 by means of supporting arms 78 spanning between the elements '77 and the walls of the tubular element 55. The lower end of the tube 54 is provided with a plurality of rows of air holes or openings 60 and 61. At 62 and 63 are shown funnel shaped elements tightly fitting and rigidly attached to the tube 54 at a point just below' the rows of holes 60 and 61, the lower end of the tube 54 being decreased in diameterand termi-- hating in a smaller pipe element 64,. to. which may be attached any suitable spouting element (which is not shown). At 65 is a horizontal tubular element opening into the tubular element 14, the horizontal tubular element 65 bend ing downward as shown at 66 and continuing as pipe 65' to, and connecting with a blower 6'7. Depending from; and opening" into the horizontal tubular element 65 is a perpendicular tube, terminating in a box or dirt trap 69, comprising a' box like inclosure having an intermediate division 70 therein, supporting a hinged door element 71 ad'aptedto contact the bottom 72 of the enclosure: At the lower end of the rear wall '73 is provided a hinged door element 74 which is adapted to contact the bottom '72 and side walls oi the enclosure 69, the object of which will be later explained. At 76 is a raised element in-the passage.

: tween the junction of the pipes 65 and 68 and the elements65 and 14-.

in Fig. l at '75 is shown a spout through which grain may be fed ors'upplied to the hopper 10.

The operation of my grain cleaner is as follows: The valve 40 may be closed by operating the crank 38 so as to allow the spring 29 to tilt the inner end of the lever 23' downward so that the cone 40 contacts the element 12 to close the Then grai'n'is fed through the spout '75 into the hopper 10 filling the tube 11 and the hopper 10-. The blower 6? being driven by any suitable sourceoi power (not shown), draws air inthrough the'openings 60 and 61, and draws it up through all the tubular elements thereabove into-the pipes 65 and 65" and dischargesit from the blowerin the direction of the arrow A. The air in passing through the tubular element 65 strikes the element '76 causing an air eddy and vacuum over the opening into the pipe 68'.

' 'Now by turning the crank 38 the valve 40 is l adjustably opened to admit thedesired amount of grain and dirt therewitlito fall therethrough, thegrain traveling in a downward direction within an-upwardly traveling draft of air which will pick up such light particles of dirt contained within the stream of grain flow and carry thedirt upward with the air, allowing the heavi'er grain to strike the funnel element 46 and be discharged into the cup element 48, thereby filling the cup, allowing the oncoming grain to beat, against, that in the cup and overflow around the sides of the cup and fall through the tubular element 47., into the tube 44. During. this process, dirt or chafi which may have been attached to the grain has been beaten off and is. separated irom'the grain and is falling the grain streamwithin the tube 44 where the grainstream'again comes in contact with the upwardly traveling draft of air and the lighter elements such-as; the dust; chaff, and even the-light er kernels of grain which are of no value will be caught in the air stream and carried upward to the tube 65. The balance of the grain in the grain stream, falling downward through the tube 44 into the funnel 58 and onto the upper side of the cone element '77 where it is deflected against the side walls of the tube and finally discharged through the tube 59 into the tube 54 and during the travel of the grain through the funnel 58 and tube 55, any. additional'di'rt and the like still remaining on the grain-has become loosened and separated from the grain during its travel through the funnel 58 and tube 55 .is caught in the upwardly traveling air stream which has entered the pipe 54 through the openings 6,0 and Gland said dirt, chaff, etc., is carried upwardly with the air stream into the pipe 65 and the remaining grain traveling downward is discharged through the pipe 64 into any suitable means (which is not shown) to anydesired car, bin or other place.

During the downward travel of the stream of grain in the tube 54, it may be that some of the kernels would enter the holes 60 or 61 and if they did they would be led back into the pipe 54 through the openings 60 or 61 by reason of the funnel shaped elements 62 or 63.

During the time the grain is falling from top to bottom of the cleaner, the heavier kernels ofthe grain will fall faster than the lighter ones and also thedirt in the grain stream, thereby crowding the dirt and lighter kernels of grain to the outside of the grain stream where it comes incontact with the upwardly traveling air stream and is picked up by the air and taken along with it. During the flow of the air through the pipe 65,

, the air will contactthe upwardly projecting element '76 and causean' air eddy and vacuum over the opening ofthe pipe 68, and due to this action, such objects as light grain and-the heavier portions-of dirt that may be in the air stream will fall into the tube 68, and be deposited in the box 69, while the balance of the air and dirt will travel through the pipe 65' and the blower 6'7 andbe deposited in the box 69, while the balance of" the air and dirt will travel through the pipe 65' and the blower 67 and be discharged therefrom in the direction of the arrow A. The dirt and light grain which has been deposited in the box 69-will slide down the division 70 in the door 71 and the bottom 72' and be deposited between the bottom 72 and the door '72, and when enough dirt piles up-against the door '72 its weight will push the door open in the direction of the arrow Band'all'ow the dirt to be discharged from the box 69, and upon the opening of the door '74, air will beadmitted to the box 69 and the pressure of the air against the door 71 willoause the door 71' to close while the dirt is discharging through. the door 74 and when the dirt has all been. discharged the door '74 will close by gravity and. the air pressure against the door '71 will decrease and the door 71 will open by gravity, allowing the newlyv collected dirt, etc., to slide downv the floor '72 against the door whereupon the opening and closing of the doors '74 and 71 are repeated.

Such. modifications may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from .the spirit and intent of my invention. Now having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a grain cleaning device. of the kind. de-

scribed, a hollow vertical tube, said hollow vertical tube having enlargements therein at spaced intervals, obstructions in said vertical tube, said obstructions being positioned in said enlargements in said vertical tube, air intake openings in the walls and at the lower end of said vertical tube and a discharge opening at the bottom of said vertical tube, a hopper on the top of said vertical tube and means in said hopper to control the discharge from said hopper into said vertical tube, and means for drawing air in at the bottom of said vertical tube and discharging it at the top thereof as and for the purpose described.

2. In a grain cleaning device of the kind described, the combination of a hollow vertical tube, said hollow vertical tube having a plurality of enlargements therein, a hopper positioned at the top of said hollow vertical tube and discharging therein, means for controlling the discharge from said hopper, obstructions in said enlargements, said obstructions being positioned in line with the stream being discharged from said hopper, said obstructions functioning to spread and collect the stream being discharged from said hopper so that the material in said stream will beat against itself and the walls of said obstructions, openings in the walls of and at the bottom of said hollow vertical tube to admit air to said hollow vertical tube, a horizontal tube at the top of and one end communicating with the said hollow vertical tube, the other end being connected to an air fan functioning to draw air in at the bottom of the said hollow vertical tube and discharge it at the top thereof through said horizontal tube, a second vertical tube connecting with and depending from the said second vertical tube, all functioning as and for the purpose described.

3. In a grain cleaning device of the kind described, the combination of a hollow vertical tube, said hollow vertical tube having a plurality of enlargements therein, a hopper positioned at the top of said hollow vertical tube and discharging therein, means for controlling the discharge from said hopper, obstructions in said enlargements, said obstructions being positioned in line with the stream being discharged from said hopper, said obstructions functioning to spread and collect the stream being discharged from said hopper so that the material in said stream will beat against itself and the walls of said obstructions, means at the bottom of said hollow vertical tube to' admit air to said hollow vertical tube, a horizontal tube at the top of said vertical tube, one end of said horizontal tube being connected to the said vertical tube, the opposite end of said horizontal tube leading to and being connected to an air fan functioning to draw air in at the bottom of said hollow vertical tube and discharge it at the top thereof through said horizontal tube, a second vertical tube connecting with and depending fromthe said horizontal tube, and a dust trap positioned on and at the bottom of said second vertical tube, all functioning as and for the purpose described.

4. In agrain cleaning device of the kind described, a hollow vertical tube, said hollow vertical tube having enlargements therein at spaced intervals, obstructions in said vertical tube, said obstructions being positioned in said enlarge ments, means at the bottom of said hollow vertical tube to admit air therein, a horizontal tubular element at the top portion of, and connecting with the said vertical tube, a hopper on the top of said vertical tube and means in said hopper to control the discharge from said hopper into said vertical tube, a second vertical tubular element connecting to and depending from said horizontal tubular element, an upwardly projecting element in. said horizontal tubular element at the junction of said horizontaltubular element and the second said vertical tubular element and between the first said vertical tube and the second said vertical tubular element, a dust trap on the lower end of said second vertical tubular element, and means for drawing air in at the bottom of the first said vertical tube and dischargingthe air through the horizontal tubular element substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

MONROE DAVIS. 

